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Tackling long term vacant properties
Published: 17/06/2014
Flintshire County Council could begin to force sales of private properties if a
new policy is approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (17 June).
The Enforced Sales Policy will mean that the Council can use the legislation to
help solve the problem of rundown, vacant properties in the County and at the
same time recover substantial outstanding debts.
The council is pursuing this route as it aims to reduce the number of long term
vacant property across the county from the current figure of 469. Flintshire
County Council has always prioritised this area of activity and was one of the
first counties in Wales to have an Empty Homes Development Officer and a
specific pot of monies in support of renovation and refurbishment.
The Enforced Sales Policy will be an additional tool to those already employed
such as other enforcement action to improve property and in some cases direct
financial support to owners who wish to bring their properties up to a lettable
standard.
Once approved, the Council will be allowed to put a long term vacant property
up for auction to pay off relevant debts, allowing it to then work with the new
owner to ensure its reoccupation. These debts could include council tax
arrears, social care charges and any other debt for work carried out and funded
by the council as a result of exercising powers to repair or improve the
property. The only way the property owner could prevent a sale would be to
repay the debt.
There are currently a small number of properties across Flintshire, where use
of this power would be appropriate. These are properties for which all other
interventions have failed, due to a lack of cooperation by the owner and
enforced sale is therefore a last resort.
One property in the County has social care charges in excess of £40,000, where
the previous owner and recipient of care is now deceased. The family are
unwilling to sell the property, as they wish to live in it, but are unable to
fund the cost to make it habitable.
Councillor Helen Brown, Cabinet Member for Housing said: “If this policy is
approved the Council can start bringing more vacant properties back into use,
with the added benefit of recovering debts owed. It is no longer acceptable for
properties to remain empty when the need for housing is increasing. With this
policy the Council can begin moving forward to address the issue of vacant
homes whilst also recovering monies it is owed.”